3 Tips on Creating a Mastermind Group to Support Your Article WritingPosted by Bonnie Holscher on May 31st, 2010

Have you ever gotten stuck while writing your articles and wished you had some input to help you through the rough part? By the time you read this you will learn the value of masterminding and how it can help you grow far beyond where you originally thought you would go.

So many times you get caught in the hum drum of writing an article and feel we are just running out of steam. When you sit down it just does not seem that you can think or the ideas you had just don’t seem to flow. What you may not realize is that if you do not have a mentor or coach that you are just needing someone to bounce some thoughts off of or just some conversation to free your mind. That is when a group of 5 to 6 people will give you just what you need to break loose.

Tip number 1 for creating a mastermind group of people to learn from and support you is that the people involved should be at your level of income or making more than you. The key point is to team up with people who are already where you want to be. Many people at a higher level are more than willing to share their experiences that may otherwise not be shared. Especially with article writing there are times when sharing ideas with someone who has been writing successfully for sometime will help you through a time of discouragement.

Tip number 2 is to conduct these meetings on a regular basis, either weekly, every other week or monthly. Although in person is preferred, most mastermind groups meet over the phone. Plan at least an hour but preferably two hours for each meeting. It is recommended that for the first few meetings that each person be given at least 30 minutes to talk about their situation, needs, and challenges so that the rest of the group can effectively give feedback and brainstorm was to help. It also insure that each member gets what they need to move forward in their endeavors. With article writing, it may be an advantage to have members in several different niches to create variety in the feedback.

Tip number 3 is for each member to make a commitment to stretch and grow. There should always be a next action stated before the meeting ends from each of the members. There should also be a time to share the successes from the last meeting no matter how small they may seem. This commitment should not be a continuation of the previous goal not met. It must stretch just beyond the goal set from the meeting before so that the member must not only finish the first goal but other things just beyond the last. By doing this it is an assurance that the group in moving forward toward completing the goals they set. If you are writing articles set a clear amount of articles to be written in a specific amount of time hold you accountable to your group and affords you enough pressure to help push you through. It also brings you to a point of accountability. People tend to produce more when you set a deadline or timeline. You will more actively take steps to accomplish the tasks you set out to do. If you say you will write AND submit 5 articles, you will do what it takes to get all or most of it done before the group meets again.

Article writing does not have to be difficult. There are several groups available for mentoring or masterminding your way to success. There are also tools available to help you as well to create an effective article for whatever you happen to be writing about.

 
Filed under: Articles, Business, Internet Marketing, Success, Wealth Principles, Writing | No Comments

There Is A Difference Between A Coach And A Mentor For Your Road To SuccessPosted by admin on August 9th, 2009

I have been doing business on the internet since 2007 and on several occassions I have been asked, ‘What is the difference between a Coach and a Mentor”?  “Which do I need or do I need both”?  The answer to the second question is, some people need one or the other and some people need both.  But all of that depends on each individual and their specfic needs.  There is a difference between mentors and coaches.

A mentor is a teacher, one who gives you the information and shows you how to do it.  when I started in 2007, I had a very special mentor.  I met her at a camp called “Enlightened Warrior Training Camp” and she was one of my roommates.  After camp this woman continued to communicate with me and took me under her wings as she began her journey of building an internet business.  Her name is Connie Ragen Green and she is now a very successful internet icon.  We would spend hours on the phone at night as she walked me through many methods, techniques and steps.  I know I frustrated her at times but she was persistent.  Although I do not hear from her much now I still believe her to be a master teacher and much of my success online is from the teaching and nurturing of Connie Green.   If you are new at building an internet business I recommend that you visit Connie  at Ebook Writing and Marketing Secrets and sign up for her teleseminars. 

On the other hand a coach on the internet is one who encourages and inspires people to take the steps neccessary to put their learned into action.  That is where I come in.  My passion is to stand in the gap and be the one who does not and will not let an individual give up.  When discouragement seems to be taking over, a coach checks your progress,  looks at the road ahead and assists you in taking one more step forward.  Reach just a little higher,  use the tools that you have to go a little farther and is there when you succeed in the endeavor.  When additional tools are needed your coach will encourage you to find another mentor with those tools or return to your previous mentor for additional training.  That is why I enjoy working with the team of Peak Potentials Training at their events when I am not writing.   You can follow me on Twitter as well.

So as you can see, there will be some people who will need a mentor who will teach them what they need to know to be successful.  Some people will be able to take action and some will need the assistance of a coach to keep them on track and moving forward down their success road.  It is all an individual situation.  Which or both is all up to you and what you want to build to create a new lifestyle for yourself.

Filed under: Business, Coach, Internet Marketing, Lifestyle, Mentor, Motivational, Success, Writing | No Comments

Writing Your Sales Letters Can Save You Thousands Of DollarsPosted by admin on July 12th, 2009

Writing your own web sales copy will effectively save you thousands of dollars over a period of time. A powerful sales letter will sell many times more the number of ebooks than you might have sold in the past.  Have you ever wondered what the most important skill in online marketing is that will  account for more sales than any other skill?  It is the ability to write a compelling sales letter. That’s because the most important ingredient of any website is web sales copy that sells.Sales copy for the internet is very different than copy for newspapers and magazines.  Although  different in tone from advertising copy, internet sales copy has the same main objectives and that is to generate leads, customers, sales and profits  for your website.  Web sales copy should not be confused with content which is words written for a website to inform, communicate or entertain your reader.

All the website traffic in the world isn’t going to do you a whole lot of good if your visitors click away because your website copy or sales letter isn’t convincing enough to make them stay, let alone, buy what you are selling.  Words have the amazing power to influence people and even change their beliefs. That is why it is extremely important to have not just good but great sales letters and sales copy for your website.

Filed under: Blogging, Business, Internet Marketing, Resources, Websites, Writing | No Comments

Article Writing And Blog Posts Are Most Effective When Kept SimplePosted by admin on May 9th, 2009

When you sit down to write your articles and blog posts it is best to remember that simple is always better. Instead of using big words and terminology  that people may not understand, let your words flow so that the message will be accessible to everyone. The same goes for marketing your products and services whether it is an ebook, ecourses or anything else. Let people know exactly what your products or services are about and what they can expect to gain by reading or using it. Offer them something  free like a chapter or a special report to introduce them to you.

Remember what  WIIFM stands for, what’s in it for me?  Your readers want to know why they should spend their time and money on your product or service.  Just keep it simple and you will sell more of your ebooks or whatever it is that you are marketing on the internet.  When you keep it simple there is no guessing game as to what your reader is receiving.

Filed under: Articles, Blogging, Internet Marketing, Writing | 6 Comments

When You Write Your Article Or Ebook Using An Outline Will Help You Stay FocusedPosted by admin on April 25th, 2009

Sometimes when you sit down to write you may find that you have difficulty staying focused on the task at hand.  Sometimes, it is writer’s block or too many distractions.  What I find helpful is to write an outline of some kind so I know my direction and can resume my work if I get distracted. 

You can always add to or take away during the course of your writing but at least you have some direction to follow. ASs you go you will fill in the blanks with more and new ideas.  This will create  the flow that will make the reading more interesting to your readers.  It is also a great way generate new ideas for other articles or blog posts for the future. 

As you continue to add to your library of material, you can then begin to out these together to create an ebook for future distribution.  An outline is like a roadmap and you would not even begin to take a trip without a map to show the way.  So when you sit down to write develop a map or outline to get you from where you are to where you want to go in your writing.

Filed under: Articles, Blogging, Success, Work From Home, Writing | No Comments

There Is A Right Way To Write Articles That Attract ReadersPosted by admin on April 22nd, 2009

Article writing has become a popular way to get information to the public and marketing via the internet. Some people are quite good at it and some don’t even get started because they don’t feel they have anything to say or they don’t know how to say it.  There are several things to keep in mind when setting out to write articles whether it is you first time or you have written a few articles. Let’s just talk about three important things to remember.

The first key to writing an article is to determine your subject and the type of information you would like to include in your article. The second key in writing an article is to use a format or template to make sure that the article is structured properly. The third tip in writing you article is to leave your reader wanting for more.

If you are unsure about your articles, it is invaluable that you become involved with a mentor or a model in this field who can give you pertinent advice and guide you along your journey to more effective article writing. There are formulas, templates, other tips and suggestion available.

Filed under: Articles, Internet Marketing, Mentor, Writing | 1 Comment

Finding A Topic To Write AboutPosted by admin on April 9th, 2009

Are you having a difficult  time finding something to write about?  You really want to write an article, ebook or even a vlog post.The best way to write content is to write abut what you know or what you are passionate about.  When you focus on what you know something about, you find that the words come much easier.   It is worthwhile to take a few minutes and make a list of topics or ideas that you either know something about personally or that you have experience with. 

Everyone works at something, whether it is a job, a hobby, sports, or leisure activity.  And that’s just the short list.  Take a look at what you do in your daily lifesuc as  experiences or relationships  and use them in your writing.  What you know about tends to flow more easily and naturally than a subject you have to research.  You are more of an expert on those things you know than you might realize and because it comes from your experience, your writing will come across more authentic and more believable than a subject you chose just because it’s popular or well searched.

So take a few moment and make a list and start there and you can later expand into even things that you are learning and researching.

Filed under: Articles, Blogging, Writing | No Comments